Storage battery



March i8 1924o Filed May ll 1920 -Wfif Patented-Mar. 18, 1924.

JAMES F. MONAHAN, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIG-NOR T0 EDISON STORAGE BATTERY COMPANY, 0F WEST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY,` A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

STORAGE BATTERY.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I. J AMES F. MONAHAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Stora e Batteries, of which the following is a escription.

My invention relates to improvements in storage batteries, and has been designed more particularly for use in connection with storage batteries of the Edison type wherein insoluble active materials are employed in an alkaline electrolyte, although it will be understood that the invention is applicable for use with storage batteries of other types.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved simple and efiicient valve for permitting the esc-ape of gases generated within a battery cell, for separating from the escaping gases any globules of the electrolyte which may be mechanically entrained therewith and returning the same to the cell, for excluding dust, dirt and other foreign matter from the cell and for 'preventing the explosion of any ofl said gases within the cell from sources outside the latter.

Another object of my invention is to provide a valve of this character the construction of which is such as to effectually prevent the escape of any appreciable quantity of electrolyte from the cell through the valve irrespective of the position of the cell.

My invention further resides in the construction of parts and combinations of elements hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In order that my invention may be more clearly understood, attention is directed to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification and in which:

Figure 1 is a central sectional view, partly in side elevation, of the upper end portion of a storage battery cell provided with a preferred ,form of gas valve in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a View in end elevation, partly broken away, of the structure shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a detailed view, `partly in elevation and partly in section, of the gas valve shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, reference character 1 represents the canor container of a storage battery cell, said container preferably being rectangular in form and having the top 2 thereof suitabl secured to the vertical walls with a Hui -tight joint, as by welding, and preferably being formed of thin sheet steel which has'been carefully nickel-plated so as to prevent oxidization,

particularly in an alkaline solution. Obviously materials other than nickel-plated sheet steel can be employed for the container, if desired. The usual electrode plates or elements 4 are disposed in a suitable electrolyte witliin the container 1; the positive and negative plates or elements being respectively .mechanically and electrically connected, asby means of bolts 5 and nuts 5', to two poles 6, 6 which extend through fluid-tight stuffing boxes 7 secured to the top 2 of the container.

The top 2 of the container is provided with a cent-ral opening surrounded by an an.- nular depending `flan, ,0fe 8; and a cylindrical casing 9 provided with an upper open end, has its bottom-,10 welded to the top 2 and an annular flange 11 depending from said bottom and surrounding a central opening therein, extending within and welded to the annular flange 8. Thecylindrical casing 9 has a slightly enlarged lower end portion 11', and a ring or annulus 12 of soft rubber or other resilient material, is seated and fits tightly in such enlarged 'portion 11. A hollow cylindrical member or casing13 open at its lower end, is disposed and fits closely within the casing 9 andis suitably remov ably secured thereto as by means of a bayonet joint connection comprlsmg a pair of pins 14, 14 suitably secured t'othe casing 13 and extending laterally therefrom, and a pair of bayonet slots 15, 15 provided incasing 9 and respectively receiving the pins 14, 14. The slots 15, 15 are so formed that the closed locking end portions thereof are slightlyl above the lowermost and immediately preceding portions, the construction and arrangement being such that when the casings 9 and 13 are locked together by the bayonet joint connection, as shown, the resilient ring 12 will tightly engagethe lower end of theI casing 1,3, forming a fluid-tight joint therewith, ,and will coact therewith'to` yieldingly hold the said casings 9 and 13 thus locked together. It will be obvious lill that to either lock the casings 9 and 13 together or to unlock the same, it` will be necessary to force the casing 13 belo-w the posi-` tion shown in Figs 1 and 2, against the resiliency of the ring 12, and in order to facilitate these operations a member 16 hex-v agonal in form 'and adapted to be engaged by a' suitable tool, is secured as by welding, to the top of casing 13.4 When casings 9 and 13 are locked together, the casing 13 extends a considerable distance above the upperend of easing 9, as shown.

l Reference character 17 represent-s a tubular memberrpreferably comprising a main cglindrical portion having an axial opening t erethrough, and provided with a valve seat 19 at the lower end thereof about the opening 18 and with an annular flange or collar 2O at its upper end. The fiange or collar 2O has a reduced annular rim 21 which extends into a shallow annular groove 22 formed on theinside of the casing 13 adjacent its lower end and is secured thereinby peaning over the lower end of such casing. Thev tubular member 17 ,is thus rigidly secured to the casing 13 and extends downwardly therefrom through the openings 1n ring 12, the bottom 10 of casing 9 and the top 2 of container I1 into the upper end portion of the latter. The flange 20 is provided on its upper face with a diametrical slot or groove'23 intersecting the opening 18 and with a central spherical` seat 24 which is slightly less' in depth than the groove or slot 23. A weight 2 5 having a spherical lower end portion and an upper frusto-conical portion is loosely supported on the ange 20 and is provided with an axial cylindrical opening 26 therethrough, the lower end portion of said opening being reduced asindicated at 27. A wire 28 or a like flexible member extends loosely through the opening 26 in weight 25 and is supported from the weight by having its end portions 29, 29 bent over the top/of the weight and then downwardly below said top. The central p ortion ofthe wire 28 forms a loop andl the w1re is ofv such length that this loop extends a sli ht distance `below the lower spherical en portion of the weight. A link 30 1s supported from the said loop, the wire 28 passlng loosely through anl opening provided'in the link adjacent its upper end. The link 3.0 is'formed withj a hook at its lower enden which a valve 31 is supported,

the latter being provided with an eye 1n whlch the said hook 'loosely engages. The valve 31 conforms to valve seat v19and the lower spherical end portion of weight 25 conforms to the spherical seat 211. lf the cell is in a vertical or its normal position, the tubular member 17 will also be in vertical position and the weight 245 will be in' the pos1t1on shown with the lower spherical end portion thereof engaging the spherical seat 241 and with the opening 426 in vertical alignneeaeee `ment' with the opening 18 of the tubular member 17. The Valve 31 will then be supported from the weight by means of the Wire 28 and link 30v in open position a slight distance below the valve seat'19, as shown in Figs. l and 3. An inverted cupped member 32 "is suitably secured directly above the weight 25 to the underside of the top of casing 13 as by being welded thereto, this cupped member being of such size that its lower ed. e i

so as' to enclose the valve 31, as by having T- the upper end portion of its side wall crimped into. an annular groove 37 formed on the lower end portion of said tubular member as indicated at 38. v

When the cell is in vertical position, the parts of my improved gas valve will occupy .the positions shown and gases generated within the cell will be free to pass or escape therefrom through the gas valve in the following path: 'lihrough the openings 35 and 36 of the casi'ngs 34, the opening 18 of tubu lar member 17, and the slot 23 beneath the lower spherical end of the weight 25 into the casing 13, then up through the very narrow space between the edge of the cupped member 32 and the side wall of the casing 13 and out through the opening 33 to the atmosphere. A portion of these gases alsol passes from the opening 18-in tubular member 17 through the opening 26 of the weight 25, and is then delected downwardly by the cupped member 32 and passes around the edge thereof and then upwardly through thevery small space between said edge and the side wall of casing 13 and out through the opening 33; Practically all of the globules of the electrolyte entrained with these gases will be separated therefrom vin thus passing from the cell by reason of the tortuous paths thereof through the gas valve, the various elements in the path ofthe gases and the small spaces through which the same are caused to flow, especially the small spaces between the lower spherical end of the weight 25 and the bottom of groove 23 and between the lower edge of the cupped member 32 and the side wall of casing 13. The electrolyte thus separated from the escaped gases will flow down the inner surfaces of cupped member 32, the side wall of casing 13, and the wall of openin 26 in the weight 25 and then down throng i the opening 18 of the tubular member 17 into the small casing 34C from whence it will return to the cell through' the small opening 35 in the bottom of sueh casing.

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When the cell is moved or tipped from the the vertical position shown, the weight will tend to move by gravity from its seat 24 `and the' construction may be such that the y:so

tipping of the cell to any angle desired'will eect such movement of the weight 25. Preferably, howeverpthe parts are so constructed and arranged that the movement of weight 25 from its seat will be effected When the'cell is tipped through an angle of 45 degrees from the vertical. This movement of the weight 25 from its seat will by reason of the wire 28 and link 30, which connect the weight to the valve 31, automatically raise the valve 31 to its seat 19, that is, to closed position, and prevent the escape of any of the electrolyte from the container 1 throughthe gas valve. In case the container is tipped or inverted so quickly that a small amount of the electrolyte escapes through the opening 18 of tubular member 17 and opening 26 of weight 25 before the valve 31 is closed, this electrolyte will be caught by the cupped member 32 and returned to the cellcontainer 1 when the latter is again moved to its normal vertical position. The small casing 34 will serve to catch the valve 31 in case the same becomes disconnected from the weight 25 and thereby prevents the possibility Vof the lat- .ter dropping between the electrode plates or elements of the cell and short-circuiting the latter. y

While I have speciiically shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the same is subject to many changes and modifications without departure from the spirit of the invention'and the scope of the a pended claims,

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. In combination, a storage battery cell and a gas valve therefor comprising a valve seat, a valve therefor and a memberfrom which said valve is normally supported in open position, said member normally occupying a given position and movable bodily from said position when said cell is tipped from the vertical, said valve being moved tol closed position by said member upon movement of the latter from its normal position, substantially as described.

2. In a storage battery cell, a vertical tubular member applied to the top of the cell container and provided with a valve seat, a valve therefor normally maintained by its own weight below said seat, and means comprising a member disposed above said seat and connected with said valve for raising the valve to closed position upon movement ofsaid cell from a vertical position, substantially as described.

3. A gas valve for storage batteries comprising a member having an opening therethrough and provided with a valve seat about said opening at one end of the latter, a valve for said seat, and a device normally occupying a given position adjacent the other end of said opening and movable bodily from 4. A gas valve for storage batteries comprlslng a vertical member having an opening therethrou `h and provided with a valve seat about sai opening at its loweil end, a Valve for said seat, and a device normally occupying a given position adjacent the upper end of said opening and movable bodily under the action of gravity from said position when said member is tipped from a vertical towards a horizontal position, gas being free to pass through said opening and pastv said device when the latter is in its normal position, said valve being supportedv from said device normally in open4 position. and being moved to closed position by said device upon movement of the latter from'its normal position, substantially as described.

5. A gas valve for storage batteries comprising a vertical tubular member having a valve seat at its lower end, a device resting loosely on the upper end of said member, normally occupying a given position thereon and adapted to move by gravity from said position when the tubular member is' tipped from a vertical towards a. horlzontal position, a valve for said seat, and means supporting said valve from said device in open position below said valve seat when said device is in its normal position, said means .effecting closing movementof said valve upon said movements of said device, from its normal position, substantially as described.

6. A gas valve for storage batteries, comprising a member having an opening therethrough for the escape .of gases, acap applied to said member `and the 1nter1or of which is in communication with said opening, and an inverted cupped member carried by the cap above said opening, the edge of said cupped member being in close proximity to the wall ofrsaid cap, said cap being provided with an opening through its wall above the edge of said cupped member, substantially as described.

7. A gas valve for storage batteries, comprising 'a vertical member having an opening therethroughv for the escape of gases, a

valve for controlling said opening, said l" valve being normally in open position, means for effecting the closing of said valve when said member is tipped from the vertical, a cap applied to said member and the interior ofwhich is in communication with said opening, and an inverted cupped member carried. by said cap above said opening, substantially as described.

8. A gas valve for storage batteries, comprising a cylindrical casing open at its upper end and adapted to be secured at its lower end to the top of a storage battery cell, a resilient member disposed in the lower end portion of said casing, and a cylindrical member disposed within said casing;1 and provided with means `for controlling the escape of gases therethrough from a cell to which said casing is applied, said casing and member having a bayonet joint connection, t-he arran ement being such that said connection, said resilient member and said cylindrical member coact to yieldingly lock said casing and cylindrical member to-I gether in fluid-tight relation, substantially as described.

9. A gas valve or'storage batteries, comprisinp,- a vertical member having an opening therethrough for theescape of .gases and provided with a valve seat at its lower end, a weight supported on the upper end of said member and normally positioned in a seat provided on said upper end, said weight being movable from its seat when said member is tipped from the vertical a valve for said opening, said valve normally being in open position, and means whereby valve, the upper end of said member beiirg1 provided with one or more grooves comu municating with said opening `and deepern than the seat for said weight whereby gases are free to escape through said member when said weight is in its seat, substantially as described.

10. A gas valve for storage batteries, comprising a member having a valve seat and an opening therethrough, a rounded weight seated loosely on said member about said opening, and a valve supported by Weight, said weight acting to draw said valve toward the valve seat when the bati tery is moved from a vertical towards a horizontal position, substantially as described.

11. A gas valve for storage batteries, comprisingi a member having a valve seat and an opening therethrough, a rounded weight seated on said opening, a valve supported by said weight, said weight acting to draw said valve toward the valve seat when the battery is moved out of a vertical position, an apertured casing enclosing said weight, and an inverted cup carried by the casing above said weight, substantiall as described.

This specication signed thisfQQth day of April, 1920.

ydllldlS F. M'NAHAN..

said l 

